Being a part of mainstream society makes me unhappy, what can I do to become happy?

In answer to Quora question: "Being a part of mainstream society makes me unhappy, what can I do to become happy?"

Thanks for the A2A. Although you could become a hermit and withdraw from society (I have done this at times, and it can be very nourishing), there are other options:

1. Find people who share your values and create a community for yourself and them. This could mean joining an established organization, or creating one from scratch - the latter is more difficult, but can be very rewarding.

2. Nourish your heart, mind and soul with interactions and media that support your values and aesthetics. In other words, listen to music that inspires you, watch movies that resonate with your perspective, attend cultural events that reflect what you value and esteem. And avoid everything else.

3. Find a vocation that expresses who you are or who you want to be, rather than what society expects of you.

4. Take regular breaks from interacting with others and spend time in Nature, time alone meditating, praying, reading...whatever works for you.

There is also the possibility of "relocation therapy." This doesn't always work, but sometimes it is possible to move to a new place and "find your people," that is, find a place that feels more like home than where you are now. I've done this twice. The first time was a disaster - I felt more alienated and alone than I had before. The second time it worked rather well. Success isn't guaranteed, and we can't just run away from difficult choices or issues we need to face, but sometimes relocating can make a surprising difference because of subtle changes in place, culture, language, shared values, public priorities, etc.

My 2 cents.

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